Tape reel



taken in connection with the drawingi whichz;

" Patented A 7, 1945 I o-N T-EofSTATES PATENT OFFICE TAPE REEL 'Wflhur R. .Ge nmcl', Wheaton, 11-1., assignor to Teletype'florporation, Chicago, Ill,, a corporation of Delaware Application July 29, 1943, Serial No.496,531

8 Claims. (01. 24268) This invention pertains to tape reels and more particularly to adjustable tape reels.

Existing types of tape reels are made for a single specific size .tape roll and, therefore, it is necessary to change reelsfor. each difierentsized to proyide a tape reel which is capable of accommodating more; thanone width ,of tape roll,

The. tape reel according 'tothe present inyene tion is formed of'a; disc. having a. central .opening, which, supports the tape r.o1L'- Ahuhhavingtwo angularly displaced supports, is rotatably mounted n sp ndle which is .mounted securely in a. tap carria e. The dis may :befastenedto eith r of the two s pports, dep ding on thew d h of tape which is being used- One of the supports ora stem arising from the hub, is used asr a. tape roll Positioning means, dependin upon 'whi'ohaof the e two s pports t tap ro sm unted..- .An arm is mountedtothe tape carriage which is. spring.

ur oretain the pe Wi hin thetape. oarag -j c Axmore complete understanding ofthe invention'inay he had from the, following, description accompanyin i 1 s a fra mentary planview, partly broken away, of the tap reel embodying: the presentinv n io I I Fig.2 isa sectional i .view'. taken approxie matelyon the linej22 of Fig. l;

.Eig. 3 is an enlarged perspectiveview of the hnbof-thetapereel;

Fig, 4 is a iragmentary plan view, partly j broken. away, of the tape reel supporting-a nar- 4 rower width of. tape than that shown ingFig. l,

and

' Fig. 5: is a sectional side view,.taken approximately on the'line 5-5 of, Fig. '4.

- The tape. container, as shown in-Fis. 2.10amprises: a cage which is formed of .apbase I I. having secured thereto. by means-of screws k2, a p u a iy'ofhrack ts I13, Asp ndle 14 1s s u y'fastenedtothe base it, zcentrallylof the brackets- 1:3, by'means of nuts 16 whiphare positioned on either side o he base H. 1 :A he op y h brackets. l3, set inwardly and held in plaoe by screws I1, is a guide rail l- 8, the purpose of which will be explained later. \A- bracket I9 is secured to the base :i I, by means of a screw 2l, at the top of which is pivota-lly mounted an arm 22 which is urged downwardly toward the top of the guide rail I8 by a leaf. spring 23, ,a leather stop (not shown) limiting its downward movement.

The hub, as shown in Fig. 3, comprises a stem 24 on which is mounted a pair of supports 26 and 27, which are spaced apart by a spacer 28, and-which are angularly displaced 90 with respect to each other. The hub unit is held together by means of screws 29. The supports 26 and 21 each have a threaded hole 3| toward each end of each support. As shown in Fig, 2, the stem 2.4 has. a bored recess 32 extending almost all the way to the top, designed to be slightly larger than the outside diameter of the spindle M.

A disc 33, Fig. 1, is formed with a central opening 34- which has the same contour and is slightly larger than the supports 2fior 21, and a series of openings 36, the latter of which are designed to reduce the weight of the disc. The disc 33 has a pair of countersunk holes which are aligned with the threaded holes 3| of either of the supports 2.6 or 2.1.

Figs. 1 and 2 show the tape reel holding a roll of wide tape 31, having a cardboard center hub 38. The central opening .39 in. the hub 38 is relatively large, as is the custom in the winding of relatively wide tape. The loose end 4.! of the tape is shown at the left in Fig. '1.

Figs. 4 and, 5 are similar to Figs, 1 and 2, with the exception that a roll of narrow tape 42 is supported in the tape container. As-is the usual custom with narrow width tape, a wooden hub 43, having a small central opening 44, slightly larger than the outside diameter of the stem 24, serves as the center for the roll of tape. Otherwise, as previously mentioned, these views are similar to Figs. 1 and 2, and similar identification numerals have been used.

When it is necessary to use. a wide tape in the printing telegraph, apparatus the disc 331s fas- 33 is now constrained to rotate with the hub,

which is rotatably mounted on the spindle I4.

I The tape roll 31 is then placed on the disc 33, I the central, opening 39v of the tape roll hub 38 fitting .over the top support 26 which acts as a positioning means. The arm 22, urged downwardly by the leaf spring 23, retains the roll of tape on the hub and positioned within the tape container while it is being unwound.

As previously mentioned, a guide rail [8 is secured to the brackets l3. The guide rail is used to prevent the tape from falling on from the edge of the disc 33 in the event that there is a slack in the tape. This is accomplished as the circumference of the guide rail I8 is less than that of the disc 33. The tape end 4| passes through an opening whereat the guide rail !8 has been cu away, as seen on the left side of Fig. l.

In the event that a narrow width tape is used,

the disc 33 is unscrewed from the support 21 and V raised until it is just above the top support 26. The disc is then turned through 90, so that its two countersunk holes are aligned with the two threaded holes 31 in the support, and the disc is then screwed into place. The roll of narrow tape 42 is placed upon the disc, the central open ing M in the hub 43 of the tape roll being placed on stem 24, thus correctly positioning the roll of tapeupon the disc 33 and in the tape carriage.

The spaced supports 26 and 21 have been displaced angularly in respect to each other, to make it possible to tighten the screws entering the threaded holes 3! from above. If there were no angular displacement it would be very difiicult to tighten the screws, especially when the disc 33 was secured to the lower support 27. r

In the above descriptions, it is necessary to pivot arm 22, up and against the tension or the leaf spring 23, so as to allow the roll of tape to be put in place.

As previously mentioned, the supports 26 and 21 are separated by means of a spacer 28, with the entire unit being secured together by means of screws 28. This makes it possible to remove the spacer 28, and substitute one of a different height. This may be necessary if a diiIerent width tape is used than as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, making it necessary to raise or lower the top support 26.

' By maintaining constant the size of the central openings 39 and M in the roll hubs 38 and 43, respectively, it would be possible to support various width tapes at each of the positions of the disc 33. That is, the support 21 could support any size tape greater in width than the distance between it and the support 25, whereas the support 26 could support any width tape up to the top of the brackets l3, or the arm 22. In so doing, the arm 22 may require a slight redesign.

. Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that this embodiment is but illustrative and that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

1. In combination, in a tape reel, a hub, a pair of parallel spaced supports secured to said hub displaced angularly to each other, and a disc having a central opening having a peripheral contour corresponding to and slightly larger than the peripheral contour of said supports, said disc being secured to one of said supports to support one width of tape but detachable therefrom and securable to the other of said supports to support a second width of tape.

2. In combination, a tape roll mounting comprising in a unitary structure a tape roll container, a spindle secured within said container, a hub rotatably mounted on said spindle, a pair of parallel spaced supports secured to said hub displaced angularly to each other, a discfhaving a central opening having a peripheral contour corresponding to and slightly larger than the peripheral contour of said supports, said disc being secured to one of said supports to support one width of tape but detachable therefrom and securable to the other of said supports to support a second width of tape, and means to retain a roll of tape within said tape container.

3. In combination, a tape reel to accommodate various widths of tape rolls comprising a hub, a stem on said hub, a pair of parallel spaced supports secured to said hub displaced angularly to each other, and. a disc having a central opening having a peripheral contour corresponding to and slightly larger than the periphera1 contour of said supports, whereby said disc is secured to one of said supports to support one width of tape but detachable therefrom and securable to the other of said supports to support a second width of tape, and the upper of said pair or supports acts as a tape roll positioning guide when said disc is secured to the lower of said pair of supports while said stem acts as a tape roll positioning guide when said disc is secured to the upper of said pair of supports.

4. In combination, a tape roll mounting comprising in a unitary structure a tape roll container, a spindle secured within said container, a hub rotatably mounted on said spindle, a pair of parallel spaced supports secured to said hub displaced angularly to each other, a disc having a central opening having a peripheral contour corresponding to and slightly larger than the peripheral contour of said supports, said disc being secured to one of said supports to support one width of tape but detachable therefrom and securable to the other of said supports to support a second width of tape, an arm pivotally secured to said tape roll container, and a spring urging said arm against said container for the purpose of retainnig a roll of tape within said tape container. r

5. In combination, a tape reel to accommodate various widths of tape rolls comprising a, hub, a pair of parallel spaced supports secured to said hub displaced angularly to each other, and a disc having a central opening, said disc being secured to one of saidsupports to support one width of tape but detachable therefrom and securable to the other of said supports to support a second width of tape, the central opening in said disc having a peripheral contour corresponding to and slightly larger than the peripheral contour of said supports to permit said disc to be moved past one of said supports so as to be secured to the second of said supports to accommodate a different width of tape.

6, In combination, a tape reel to accommodate various widths of tape rolls comprising a hub, a stem on said hub, a pair of parallel spaced supports secured to said hub displaced angularly to each other, and a disc having a central opening, said disc being secured to one of said supports to support one width of tape but detachable therefrom and securable. to the other of said supports to support a second width of tape, the central opening in said disc having a peripheral contour corresponding to and slightly larger than the periphera1 contour of said supports to permit said disc to be moved past one of said supports so as to be secured to the second of said supports to accommodate a different width of tape, and the upper of said supports acting as a tape roll positioning guide when said disc is secured to the lower of saidpair of supports while said stem acts second width of tape.

7.1111 combination, a tape reel comprising a hub, a pair'of parallel spaced supports secured a to said hub displaced angularly-to each other, a

disc having a central opening having a peripheral contourcorresponding'to and slightly larger andsecurable to the other of said supports to support a second width of tape, and-a replaceable spacer on said hub separating said supports, whereby, when a different size spacer is used to separate said supports said other of said supports will support a tape different in size i'rom said 8. In combination, in a tape reel, a hub, a pair of substantially rectangular spaced supports secured to said hub, said supportsbeing located in parallel planes and displaced angularly' to each v other, and a disc having asubstantially rectan-- gular central opening corresponding to and slight- 1y larger than the peripheral contour of said supports, said disc being secured to one of said supports to support one width of tape but detachable therefrom and securable to the other of said supports to support a second width of tape.

WILBUR R. 

